kalms not working, rescue remedy not working - what next sedalin?!!

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little_rou

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Help!!

Am going to local novice hunter trials tomorrow - and am a nervous reck!!

I have always been a nervous, worrying type of rider and always suffer from show nerves, but normally they settle down - with the help of a few kalms and a pep talk from my instructor.

I havent shown in 18 months - kalms, rescue remedy, nothing seems to be working this time!!

any tips? ideas? would it be wrong to go around a 2ft PC XC course half cut?! seriously - I was eyeing up the oxyshots in the tack room this morning!!! help!!!
 
Hey now! I am sure you'll be fine, big deep breaths and imagine yourself doing everything just how you want to - and you will!
And you could always have a shot of whiskey to calm your nerves! Just make sure you eat lots and don't go drink riding your horse home!! :D Good luck and enjoy, you'll be fine!!
 
What are you worried about? The size of the fences? His behaviour? Making an idiot of yourself? If you can pin down what is causing the nerves you can work on reducing them.

Never worry about an audience & how you look, whatever happens they will have seen worse & will be empathising with you. If it goes well they will be pleased for you. Never focus on the audience as it detracts from the focuss of the job in hand.

A few nerves are good, they will help you be on your game so don't get fretful that they are there. If you focus too much on them they will build to the point they will hamper you, as again you are focusing on the fact you are nervous rather than the job in hand. They are there to help, so accept them & don't focus on them. Instead of worrying about worrying run the course through your head as though you are riding it, going over each jump & thinking about the terrain, what's coming & how you will be riding. If there are any jumps you think may be a problem think about how you can ride into them positively in order to get the right result so the problem doesn't happen. Think about the great feeling you will get crossing the line after a fun round.

Keep positive, think about what you can/are going to do, know your course, and have fun!! Hopefully you'll enjoy yourself, but even if it goes t*ts up it's not the end of the world. A little perspective helps a good deal.
 
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The course is only 2ft, and Ive been round it clear on many occasions with other horse without any problems.

I’m not too worried about the audience, although it will be mainly kids which will make it all the more embarrassing if it all goes wrong!

Horse is relatively new, and very green, we’ve had a few hairy moments over the past few weeks, and I had a nasty fall on the road, which has knocked my trust in him. I went XC schooling earlier this week and he was all over the place, tanking a jumps, refusing, tanking off across the field etc.

His personality can be a bit Jekyll and Hyde and you never really know which head he’s got until your half way around a course. I guess I feel off and it bloody hurt and I’m worried it will happen again and we will both get really hurt this time

:S
 
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Your favorite power ballad and a stiff drink ;)


Seriously though, by the sounds of it your thinking way to much about it, forget it about it until your ready to load up, take the pressure off and just remember to have a good time, if your are worrying what other people think well let me tell you thism, spectators like to see people enjoying themselves, ride with a smile, ride postive over the jumps...shout... scream whatever, just enjoy it your day nobody elses :)
 
little_rou said:
The course is only 2ft, and Ive been round it clar on many occassions with other horse without any problems.

Im not too worried about the audience.

Horse is relatively new, and very green, weve had a few hairy moments over the past few weeks, and I had a nasty fall on the road, which has knocked my trust in him. I went XC schooling earlier this week and he was all over the place, tanking a jumps, refusing, tanking off across the field etc.

his personality can be a bit jekyll and hyde and you never really know which head hes got until your half way around a course. I guess I feel off and it bloody hurt and Im worried it will happen again and we will both get really hurt this time

:S
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In that case just take it slowly, trot into fences if you're happier and remember that you can stop at any time if you want to! Maybe a stronger bit to help with control if he's tanking?

I'm sure that once you get going you'll be fine. Good luck!
 
Kenzo said:
Seriously though, by the sounds of it your thinking way to much about it,
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Thats exactly what I always do - I just cant seem to get it out of my head!!

Im going to hack there to try to knock a little bit of steam out of him he is a TB and the more he worked the more he tends to settle - in lessons it takes at least 20 minutes of trot work to get him listening and working correctly.

my problem has always been nerves - dad is a super experienced rider and he always used to say during my pony club years that I panic and stop riding and thats where it all goes wrong!!

I can ride, I know what Im meant to be doing but my confidence tends to abandon me in the start box and it often goes wrong very quickly from there
:(:(
 
My Mum always used to say 'The day you are not nervous is the day something goes wrong'

and

'If you're not nervous it means you don't care'

So try to settle yourself down and enjoy the buzz of a little nervous energy! :)

Very, very best of luck!
 
Thanks All

I just need a big injection of positivity... I wonder if they sell that in the pharmacy over the road?? :rolleyes: :D

So....

I CAN AND I WILL!!


... and I will report back form A&E tomorrow :D:D haha
 
Nice glass of red wine before you go round maybe? :)

Jumps that size you can just trot over them - then you don't have to worry about him being strong / stops etc.

I know how you feel. I have lost confidence after my pony started stopping. I'll happily do a 2'9 course on another horse, but on my pony 2ft jumps looks luge and scarey!!

Try and have fun x
 
It's all good!
I took my 16.2 shirexpba around a 2ft (with some bigger options) PC xc course.
He was terrible, It's his first time out in 2yrs, and mine in about 4.....
All the little kids on 11.2 ponies flew around, he refused about half of them.....
He is possibly the biggest wimp out (was bred to event) hes 12 and has done no such thing....
I had the best time ever! I don't take myself to seriously, as our talent lies in dressage, and I spent most of the time flopping about in hysterics.
This horse is big, and strong, and a bugger, I just have to go with him really.

Just remember, you can always pull up. You don't HAVE to finish if you feel like it's all going pear shaped! Just circle him around and bring him back to walk if you want. Even if it's just for you to have a second to recompose yourself.

You are in control of the situation not the horse, and as long as you always maintain that you will be fine!
 
I completely understand what you are going through. I used to wind myself up into a nervous wreck when doing XC's. Once I was on the course I was fine and loving every moment. The finish line always came to soon!
I used to take Imodium the day before and on the day of the XC. At least if my stomach wasn't cramping with nerves ;) It was one last thing I didn't have to worry about... having to use those dreaded portaloo's!!

Good luck and have a great time :)
 
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little_rou said:
Help!!

Am going to local novice hunter trials tomorrow - and am a nervous reck!!

I have always been a nervous, worrying type of rider and always suffer from show nerves, but normally they settle down - with the help of a few kalms and a pep talk from my instructor.

I havent shown in 18 months - kalms, rescue remedy, nothing seems to be working this time!!

any tips? ideas? would it be wrong to go around a 2ft PC XC course half cut?! seriously - I was eyeing up the oxyshots in the tack room this morning!!! help!!!
Click to expand...

Deffo go halfcut but can you please get someone to video it for us:D:D:p

Thanks;)
 
I am also doing my first XC in about 3 years this weekend - doing the Adult Minimus at Craigie on Sunday - I have had jumping lessons all week to prepare me - serious accident 4 years ago knocked my confidence and my riding nerves are fine but my jumping nerves are still squiffy - I have a mental block about cantering into jumps - I will trot into them all day long - its the strangest thing lol I took him to XC schooling at EEC a few weeks ago and he refused nearly everything and it took me several goes to get him over several jumps and couldnt get him over one of them at all - so to say Iwas nervous about doing Craigie would be an understatement.

I have started using a self hypnosis DVD - dont laugh, I have tried everything else :D - and I have been listening to it all week, every night for 45 mins. Last night I cantered into several jumps in my lesson and didnt almost cry and when he put in a few back end bouncies after the jumps I laughed instead of getting uptight about it. So maybe its working but Im sat at work right now feeling much more positive about Sunday now and I dont have any nervous butterflies in my stomach today. I still have my moments - I cantered over a pole and then over a straight skinny and even over a plank but wouldnt canter into a cross pole on the other rein - I cant undertsand myself sometimes.

Im tellling myself now that on Sunday, I will ride positive. lots of leg before the jump, not hang on to him too much and let him gallop between the jumpe - even if I cant canter into the jumps they are 2' so he can trot them - I should be cantering around the course in between the jumps - Im hoping that by half way round I will be brave enough to jump a few from canter.
 
Hey don't panic you'll be fine- just take it slowly round- even if you have to come back to walk or pop a fence from trot. Imagine that you are going out there to do well and you really will- just treat it like a schooling round at home and forget that it's an actual competition - if you are positive your neddy will be too-

Enjoy! good luck!:)
 
Good for you Hevs!

I really do believe the key is perspective. You don't have to finish, you don't have to look pretty, you don't have to go fast etc you do have to enjoy yourself, that is all that matters. Anything else that goes wrong you can work on later at home.

Have fun, don't give a fig about what anyone else thinks.
 
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Thanks all am slowly working my way through this bottle of 200 kalms and am starting to feel a bit more positive:)

and good luck Hevs!!
xx
 
Good luck to you sweetie :)

Like my friend says - "just sit, hold on to the neck strap and kick like hell" :D Looking forward to your report :D
 
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